Method and apparatus to enable a market in used digital content

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to enable a distinction between “new” and “used” digital content and to enable a market in used digital content files between mobile phone terminals and an electronic store, securely, by means of a wireless telephony network and a server complex to handle contents right management, transaction reporting, inventory, content delivery, payment, and billing. A server receives a signal generated by a wireless user device that was sent over a wireless telephony network. The signal indicates an election for returning at least one previously purchased digital content item. The server deletes user rights for the at least one digital content item identified by the received signal and sends information to the user device that generated the signal. Access to the associated digital content item at the user device is removed according to the sent information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 sending, from a user device, an encrypted message comprising a user device identifier and a random number, encrypted with a first key, to a server via a first communication channel; 
 sending, from the user device, the random number and the first key to the server via a second communication channel; 
 receiving, at the user device, the random number and user device identifier encrypted with a second key by the server and the second key; 
 decrypting, at the user device, the random number and user device identifier using the second key and saving the second key; and 
 decrypting, at the user device, digital content using the stored second key. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining based on the decrypted digital content whether the received digital content is complete; and 
 performing an incomplete content action if the digital content is not complete. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the incomplete content action comprises requesting the server send the digital content. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the incomplete content action comprises providing an error indication. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the user device, digital content from the server. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second key is generated by the server if the random number from the encrypted message from the first communication channel matches the random number from the second communication channel. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a process comprising:
 sending an encrypted message comprising a user device identifier and a random number, encrypted with a first key, to a server via a first communication channel; 
 sending the random number and the first key to the server via a second communication channel; 
 receiving the random number and user device identifier encrypted with a second key by the server and the second key; 
 decrypting the random number and user device identifier using the second key and saving the second key; and 
 decrypting digital content using the stored second key. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer-readable media of The non-transitory computer-readable media of further comprising:
 determining based on the decrypted digital content whether the received digital content is complete; and 
 performing an incomplete content action if the digital content is not complete. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of The non-transitory computer-readable media of wherein the incomplete content action comprises requesting the server send the digital content. 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable media of The non-transitory computer-readable media of wherein the incomplete content action comprises providing an error indication. 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable media of The non-transitory computer-readable media of further comprising receiving digital content from the server. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable media of The non-transitory computer-readable media of wherein the second key is generated by the server if the random number from the encrypted message from the first communication channel matches the random number from the second communication channel.